1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to truck accessories, and, more particularly, to an add-on tool box transport kit for use with a truck bed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many truck owners keep a tool box in their truck beds. These tool boxes are traditionally mounted in a stationary position at the anterior end of the truck bed. This configuration, however, causes several problems. First, the tool box is not mobile, as it is large. Second, a person cannot remove the tool box from the truck and easily transport it to a site. Third, the tool box can only be accessed by reaching over the side of the truck or climbing into the truck bed. This is cumbersome and time consuming.
In the related art, at least one device discloses a roll-out deck apparatus fitted for a pick-up truck. These include U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,945, issued in the name of Stanley.
Several patents describe a rolling tool box slidably mounted and supported between channels installed on opposite side walls of a pick-up truck bed. These include U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,377, issued in the name of Hughes, U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,326, issued in the name of Tuohy, III, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,695, issued in the name of Zachrich.
Several patents disclose a vehicular storage device comprising a storage panel selectively movable. These include U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,630, issued in the name of Henriquez, U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,025, issued in the name of Henriquez, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,315, issued in the name of Cherry.
Of particular interest is U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,636, issued in the name of Barajas. The Barajas device discloses a traditional truck bed tool box that has rollers on both ends. The rollers allow the box to roll along channels attached to the interior side walls of the truck bed. However, the Barajas device is not designed to be removed from the truck bed, as the rollers are stuck in the channels they ride in. The Barajas device is a new type of tool box, not a kit that can be adapted for use with existing tool boxes. Also, the Barajas device does not deal with moving the tool box once off of the truck bed.
What is needed, therefore, is a device that can be used with existing tool boxes, thus allowing a traditional, standard tool box to be conveniently rolled inside of a truck bed while also allowing the traditional tool box to be quickly removed from the truck bed and easily moved about the ground while being used as a traditional tool box.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that anticipate directly many features of the instant invention. Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus and method which overcomes the problems cited above.